Talking About Walking: Join us in celebrating May as National Walking Month

The month of May has a lot of things going for it: spring flowers, moody rainstorms, Star Wars parties, baby animals… all good things. May also happens to be National Walking Month, and while that may not sound like it stacks up against May’s many other good qualities, it might just become your favorite reason to look forward to all of those NSYNC, it’s gonna’ be May, memes popping up in your feed.  

To help us get in the mood to celebrate National Walking Month, let’s take a turn through some of the awesome benefits that walking offers.

For me, the number one benefit of a walk is reduced stress. Now, don’t get me wrong, there have been plenty of walks that started out with one kid on a scooter and the other in a stroller, and ended with one kid in my arms, the scooter in the stroller, and the other kid trailing behind complaining about how their legs hurt and they want to be held too. But, unpredictable children notwithstanding, a walk can be a great way to literally take a step away from stressors and enjoy a calming break.

While walking may be a way to step away, it can also be a great way to come together! I’m lucky enough to share a cul-de-sac with several friendly ladies who have differing life views and kids who are close in age to mine. I love it when I get a message in the Neighbor Gals group chat that says “going for a walk in 5 minutes if anyone wants to come”! When the kids tag along, we look like a parade and probably get more than our fair share of curious stares through windows, but boy does it feel good to move our feet and run our mouths together.

The mental benefits of walking are plentiful, and so are the physical benefits. You likely already know that physical activity, including walking, is great for heart and lung health, but walking comes with a whole slew of added health benefits you might not be aware of. Walking as little as 30 minutes a day can strengthen your bones and increase your muscle endurance. It can also help prevent or manage conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes, and can even boost your immune system so you can spend less of your PTO nursing a cold.

One benefit of walking that’s near to my heart (pun intended) is that it reduces the risk of breast cancer. An American Cancer Society study found that women who walked seven or more hours a week had a lower risk of breast cancer than those who walked three or fewer hours a week by a whopping 14%.

I could go on and on about how great walking is. I could talk about getting more sleep, saving money on fuel, exploring new places, counteracting obesity genes, having better fitting jeans, etc. but I think I’ll leave it here, take my own advice and go for a walk.